Via Design*Sponge

Till the weather cools though, I’ll have to just content myself with looking at how refreshing this pretty, wooden textile stamp looks. (Design*Sponge)

This fountain would look refreshing, if only it wouldn’t fall apart the minute you add water. (Craftzine)

Love this simple and effective filing cabinet makeover! (re-nest)

Ooh!  Does Room&Board actually have organic cotton pillows from Mod Green Pod at their stores now? That would be wonderful! (GreenYourDecor)

And finally, a new use for an unloved plant.  Could the future of sustainable fabrics be the stinging nettle? (Treehugger)

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

I was killing time, wandering around while my son tried to convince a very overstuffed koi fish to take one more piece of fish chow, when I ran across a lovely sight…

A loom!  Now, I’m not a weaver, but I did once take a class, and I find the whole process fascinating.  As I stood in front of this loom and stared at the work in progress, I wondered what on earth the yarn was made of.  I couldn’t figure it out.  Was it jute?  No, not rough enough.  Was it wool?  No, no fibers sticking out.  Well, what the heck was it??

After dragging my family back over to the loom, textile artist Susan Lei, whose lovely work this is, was kind enough to ease my curiosity.  This strange, mysterious yarn was,… mulberry paper!

Through an painstaking process of carefully cutting rolls of Japanese mulberry paper into long strips, winding them up into a cotton thread wrapped yarn, and then hand dyeing them in tea to attain a warm, aged color, she was able to make a beautiful, natural fiber for her latest work.

As we stood and talked, my son became completely fascinated with the working of the loom, including the foot peddles Susan Lei used to lift and lower the warp threads.  He had a barrage of questions for her about how everything worked, and in the end, I had to practically drag him away.  That loom might as well have been a Wii game system.

It got me to thinking about how distanced we have all become from the way everyday things are made, much less works of textile art such as this.  Many people, perhaps most in fact, don’t even know what the terms warp and weft (woof) mean, even though without weaving, we would all still be running around in animal skins.Musings on our cultural disconnects aside, I wanted to take a moment to show you just how lovely Susan Lei’s work is.  The piece on her loom is the very beginning of a kimono she is creating for a show at CSULB.  The kimono takes its motif from a tree, hence the beautiful knotholes and leaves.  I hope I get an opportunity to see the finished piece, as I’m sure it will be breathtaking.

Susan herself is also lovely, but I’m afraid the one image I took of her managed to be one of those “oops you blinked” moments, and if she’s like me, she would probably not appreciate it being made public. So you’ll just have to imagine a tall, slender, talented woman in a beautiful blue kimono, standing by her loom, enticing adults and children alike into learning the warp and woof of life.

Take for instance this beautiful wooden pendant lamp by Korean designer Kwon Jae Min.  For this piece, he used the natural fissures found in wood to allow the escape of light, creating an intriguingly ethereal design.  Appropriate to it’s form, the piece is named “Crack Bowl Light”, a name which has (most likely unintentional) implications in American culture that can’t help but raise an eyebrow or two.

However, despite a name which may have been lost in translation, the graceful shape and organic pattern of the sustainably harvested wooden shade are truly beautiful in any language.

Stranger Furniture is proof that deeply sustainable can mean deeply beautiful.

When the roughness of bark and the “imperfections” of natural wood are respected and used, when the natural, intricate grain of a board is allowed to shine forth in all its beauty, when the source tree “speaks” for itself, the results are tangible.

William Stranger’s work encompasses not just cabinetry and tables but also humbler creations such as lamps, utensils, and cutting boards.  Each aspect of his work supports a goal of creating zero waste.  Recycling is practiced whenever possible; scrap wood is donated to schools and other artists; even sawdust is used as animal bedding and then composted in order to minimize the shop’s impact.  As the artist explained, these business choices spring from a commitment “to an evolution that will take us beyond sustainability.”

That journey began shortly after the studio’s opening in 1987 with a commitment not to use wood from tropical rain forests.  Later, under the influence of furniture maker George Nakashima and inspired by the Cradle-to-Cradle principals of McDonough and Braungart, William’s work and life both came to reflect a philosophy blending art, deep ecology, and an utter respect for man’s place in the natural world.

He feels strongly that wood is “a precious resource that must be used responsibly.”  Accordingly, his primary source of lumber is urban salvage: trees that are blown over or cut down due to disease or construction, and then milled on site or at the arborist’s yard.  This is important, as otherwise these trees would just be burned or go to clog local landfills.

At the shop based in Pasadena, outside of Los Angeles, CA, William has access to tree species normally found all over the world, including black acacia, claro, walnut, camphor, carob, and elm.  He is also careful to use salvaged and “found” objects, and to use renewable resources such as bamboo.

The wood is carefully chosen and worked with the individual nature of the material in mind.  In the design process William is influenced by the structure of trees, buildings, and animals.  He tries to balance the rough beauty of the raw material with the necessity of shaping it into an intentionally crafted form.  Furniture is made in small batches using as much handwork as possible and held together with strong traditional joinery that allows the pieces to last for generations.  The natural beauty of the wood is preserved and enhanced with a finish of non-toxic linseed or tung oil.

According to William, there is an inherent interdependence between object, designer, maker, and environment, and this belief is clearly evident in his work.  Looking at the latter, one can almost feel the energy of the artist there breathing in tandem with the original spirit of the wood itself.  It is a juxtaposition of nature and artifice. The boundary between art and design is eliminated, and the viewer feels an urge to be still, to attend, to be drawn in by each unique piece.

100 years ago, before “sustainability” became a concept, before the word “recycling” even existed, a traditional American craft embodied both: rag rugs, the art of creating rugs from worn clothing & cast-off textiles.   Across the country housewives melded thrift and creativity, beauty and usefulness into functional works of art.

At Lark Textile Design owner/designer Janet Thomas builds on this legacy.  In her hands, the unintended sustainably of yesteryear has become a directed goal in the production of custom hand-woven and constructed rugs.

“Although I use new materials now for my rugs,” she says, “they are industry 2nds and cast offs.  Perfectly good for walking on but not good enough for your window coverings or upholstery.  I am a scavenger at heart and that mindset makes it really easy to fit into the context of today’s sustainability concerns.”

Textiles were an integral part of Janet’s life growing up, to the point of obtaining a degree in textile design from the University of Washington – afterward, she began making rugs for galleries and shops, then began working with designers and the wholesale market of custom home furnishings.  Of central importance to her are projects that highlight the hand-woven quality of the rugs and develop a mood and atmosphere in a room specific to each individual client.

There is little waste in the studio, for use is found even for the “leftovers” from larger projects, which are turned into smaller area rugs and sold.  The carbon impact of the business is reduced by the simple elimination of excess shipping: the rugs are made here in the United States and sent directly to the customers.  For Janet, sustainability is a natural offspring of long-term thinking that goes far beyond business practice:

“Working in a sustainable fashion just makes sense to me,” she says.  “It is not an effort, more a design challenge. Anyone who has ventured into the world of trying to make a living weaving will tell you that innovation is a must.  It is my hope that by looking at all aspects of my business in a sustainable way is not only good brain exercise for me today but helps generations to come by reducing my baggage that is getting dumped on them.  Everyone has to figure out their own way to make a difference.  What I consider to be the most important aspect of sustainability is education. There are millions of great people out there that just need to be informed.”

Lark rugs are available in high-relief or flatwoven style, of which many choices are available for viewing and order at the “Portfolio” section of the business’ website.  Along with the traditional wool, cotton, and synthetic yarns, her work may also include fabric ribbons and even suede and leather, which is particularly interesting worked into a high-relief rug.  (The latter are works of art in their own right and would make striking wall hangings.)  With custom projects Janet works closely with each client, working up a Colors For Approval card from the fabric & paint samples provided by the customer and then – if the client wishes to do a more in-depth evaluation – for a charge creating an optional 16” x 16” square sample which be used to determine how well the finished rug suits its intended environment.

The practical beauty of Janet’s work can provide the opportunity to engage a larger audience in the ideals of sustainable interior design, and perhaps further along into the ideals of mindful living.  How better to begin such a conversation than the furnishings of one’s daily life?

Lark Texile Design may be visited here.

Queries may be directed to:

Janet Thomas

Lark Textile Design
720 Sunset Pond Lane #2
Bellingham WA 98226

PH 360-527-0305
FX 360-527-0306

Quality, tradition, sustainability, an artful approach to life and business…  In Terra Home’s rural studio in the heart of Denman Island, in British Columbia, founder Bronwyn Simons pursues all these ideals.  For her sustainability is not just a business practice but a reflection of the philosophy that guides her life.

Beauty in the everyday.  Serenity in a single tile.

After earning a degree in Art History Bronwyn was a mural painter for many years, but sought a way to bring her business home.  So when a client asked her to create hand painted tiles for a home remodeling project Bronwyn started doing custom tile murals, and soon expanded into crafting custom tiles.  Robert Simons, her life as well as business-partner, came on board, and shortly thereafter the business bloomed into a full-fledged ceramics studio.  From work that was mainly focused on painting Terra Home grew into crafting carved and relief pressed tiles, creating custom glazes, exploring alternate firing methods, and most recently, designing hand-built tableware.

She loves collaborating with her clients to “come up with something really unique.”  Her favorite projects are large-scale challenges: an arts and crafts fireplace reflecting local flora, a shower painted as a Costa Rican rainforest, a Moorish fountain.

While developing the design for a new tile, Bronwyn often refers to her own travel photos and sketchbooks… or draws inspiration directly from the natural world around her.  Once a design is finalized she creates a master tile and mold: new tiles are pressed by hand into the mold, dried, given an initial bisque firing in the kiln, glazed with hand-mixed colors, and then fired again to create the finished product.  The result is inevitably not a only a visual treat but soothing to the soul.

“I love the idea that art can be an intimate part of our daily lives, in the construction of our homes, and our mundane functional objects.” Bronwyn said.  “We envision homes that nurture a sense of peace, well being, and beauty for all who enter them, and we envision our tiles becoming part of those homes.”

Having her studio on her own land eliminates a commute, keeps her in touch with her immediate environment, releases time for gardening and home cooking, and allows her to contribute to her community in a meaningful way.  She takes care to craft an eco-friendly product that can be enjoyed for generations.  The studio was built using many salvaged or recycled materials, along with timber sustainably harvest from her own land.  Additionally, the business’ environmental impact is reduced further by the practice of re-using packing & shipping materials.  For Bronwyn, working in a sustainable fashion simply grew out of her lifestyle – which is “modest, rural, artful and ecologically aware” – so that life and work blend seamlessly.

“For me, it all starts with mindfulness,” she said.  “If we are able to stay conscious of our small, daily choices, and make choices that are healthy for ourselves and the earth whenever possible, the cumulative impact will be great…  We need to return economic power to small communities, encourage small-scale local economies,  empower women, and preserve the incredible richness of cultures through traditional craft.”

At their website Terra Home offers hundreds of original ceramic tile and tableware designs.  Ms. Simons may be contacted at info[at]linguaterratile[dot]com or (250) 335-3149, 9AM to 9PM PST.

That being said, there were still a few cool things to look at, like the work of L.A. Box Collective…

I’m planning on a whole post on this great group of wood artisans soon, so I won’t get into too much detail.  Suffice to say, their exhibit asking you to match which raw, reclaimed wood was the source for which beautiful piece of furniture, was by far the most interesting and fun space at AltBuild.  Thanks Leigh for answering all my questions and showing me how much I still need to learn about wood!

I was also pleased to meet Sarah from Pacific Coast Teak, the U.S. importers of ProTeak, which I posted about a while back.  They had a nice display of some of the beautiful kitchen carts made from the FSC certified teak lumber.  Really lovely.

I’m going to have tot ake a closer look at this Woca oil I ran across.  It looks like a nice line of wood oils and stains that are extremely low odor and non-toxic.  Have any of you, dear readers, tried it before?  I’d love to hear what you thought of it.  I’m especially intrigued by the “color oil” stains.

Here’s an idea.  Take fast growing, FSC certified softwood, and then use a non-toxic technology to give it the properties of more durable hardwood.  That’s what the folks at Accoya have managed to do with their exterior grade product.  I saw a sample, and it really is quite remarkable.

And, last but not least, I give you the EnviroLoo – “a new American-made solar heated evaporative human waste system”!

And you thought I was only going to write about furniture and stuff…

Just launched today, Redefine Home is the ambitious and amazing interiors shop belonging to Linsi Brownson and her husband David Betz.

Filled with artisan crafts and vintage finds, there is something to please everyone.

Redefine Home sees decorating as an ongoing process, more of a cultivation of things you love and things you need.  We strive to offer a collection of beautiful everyday items mixed with one of a kind treasures and furniture designs inspired by just about everything.  We recognize that some things are a splurge and some are a steal, and we like it that way. – From the Redefine Home website

From the simple, rustic feel of this grain sack throw rug,…

to this charming print, done exclusively for them by Paper Cut Industries, there is a quite a lot to recommend.

Of course, some of you may even remember this table from a guest post Linsi wrote for us awhile back.   Yep, it’s the Bob Hope table, so named due to its (possible) origins from Bob Hope’s Palm Springs estate.  Even if it never actually belonged to “Old Ski Nose”, it has such a lovely character that it should surely belong to you!

Right now Redefine Home is offering free shipping on all orders over $50.  So what are you waiting for???

As a side note – I had the pleasure of being Linsi’s first employer when she completed her degree in Interior Design, and I am really looking forward to the day I can say “I knew her when…”.

So, congratulations Linsi!  No one deserves success more than you.

Oh my, have things changed…

Oh So Faux

Consider the lovely patterns and colors available from decorative arts company, Alpha Workshop.

Kimono

Fun, colorful and handmade, these wallpaper patterns are everything 90’s wallpaper wasn’t.  But Alpha Workshop is more than just a maker of beautiful, handmade decorative wallpaper.

It is also the only non-profit, decorative arts organization dedicated to training and employing people living with HIV/AIDS.  Based in New York, Alpha Workshops provides a creative, flexible, supportive workplace for those dealing with the medical and social issues that come from dealing with a chronic disease.  They even keep an eye on sustainability…

Infinity

Says spokesperson Nora Schaddelee:

“While we don’t officially state that our wallpaper is “green,” we do strive to stay sustainable and we do whatever we can within our process.We use commercial wallpaper stock, not vinyl.  Unfortunately, it is very hard to find a supplier for recycled wallpaper ground, but we are always on the lookout. We use water-based Benjamin Moore paints with low VOCs.  Our wallpapers are made by hand, using no machinery. Thus, no toxic by-products and no emissions. Each wallpaper is made to order and in custom lengths so there is very little waste both in production and for the end-user.

Since we are a non-profit, we often receive paint and materials donations from the design industry that would otherwise be thrown away. Much of these materials get a second life within our training program where our students learn the basics of decorative arts techniques.”

Butterfly

Because Alpha Workshops produces all their papers to order, they are able to provide custom lengths and colors.  They also make lamps, tables, and can design props for retailers and event decor.  They even have a decorative finishing service.  All this as a way of providing gainful employment for skilled workers who might not otherwise be able to find a job.

So, like so many interior designers, I now run around pretending that I always knew that wallpaper could be cool.   I just never knew it could be THIS cool.

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Brandon, and his wonderful wife Sundeep, for several years now, and I can say without equivocation that he is one of the most gifted furniture designers I know.  I could go on and on about how he came by his design sensibility without any formal training, how that lack of training gives his designs a natural grace and uniqueness that might not otherwise have been possible, or even just how much I dream of owning one of his chairs someday.  But really, nothing is going to say it as well as his work itself, so take a look…

Los Galos chair

Atomic Series No. 1

Glass Series No. 4

I’m so happy that his work is starting to get the recognition it so richly deserves!